Plasticized molding composition and process of making same



Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

HARRY N WEBER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIS-FOSTER COM- PANY. OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PLASTICIZED MOLDING COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.-

This invention relates to the preparation .of molding compositions and the. process of making same. In the preparation of molding compositions suitable for use in the preparation of so-called hot molded articles great care must be exercised in the preparation of the resinous constituent of such compositions to prevent the reaction from progressing to too great an extent which would interfere greatly in the molding operations and in some cases necessitate the'discarding of any molding composition prepared therefrom. As a result of the great care required, the tendency has been to carry out the preparation of the resin in such a manner that the reaction does'not go to completion and consequently as the raw materials Whichare used for the preparation of the resin are ordinarily water soluble, some valuable material is carried away on separating the resin from the aqueous layer and can only be recovered at an excessive cost... By means of the present invention it is possible to carry the reaction of the raw materials in the preparation of the resin to such a point that the. reaction is practically carried to con'ipletion thereby increasing the resulting yields and reducing the cost. .l have found that. compounds of hexamethylenetetramine such for example as liexaniethylenetetramine-triphenol or tri-xylenol and the like act as softening or fluxing agents on these resins under heat and pressure and that the addition of these compounds to the prematurelyreacted or so-callcd overt-tired moldinghompositions will cause. a tluxing or plasticizing elt'ect causing the resin present in the composition to How to a greater extent resulting in a'molded article having an improved surface.

I prepared hexametliylenetetraminc-triphenol from 48 parts of hexamcthylcnetctramine and 94 parts of phenol, which were dissolved in a dilute alcohol made up of parts of ethyl alcohol and 40 parts of water and the solution heated to boiling under a re flux condenser until the materials had reacted to form the desired compound. On cooling the resulting alcoholic solution of hexametliylenetetramine-triphenol crystallization of this compound occurred and the crystals were subsequently filtered off. On.distillation or evaporation ofthe mot-her liquor a second crop of crystals were obtained. The crude hexamethylenetetramme-triphenol Application filed December 17, 1924. Serial No. 756.549.

from the first crystallization may be used as obtained but in some cases it. is desirable to re-crystallize the product from hot. alcohol in order to obtain a pure product. In the. majority of cases howerer this is not neces sary. 1 call attention to the fact that the compounds of hexaniethylenctetramine with phenols, used herein, are non-resinous bodies, usually crystalline in character.

'ljhe fluxing or plasticizing compound may be incorporated with the molding composi- U011 in any appropriate manner. ln thefollowing example. the ett'ect ofthis agent on the resin itself without the addition of any tiller is given.

100 parts of phenol and 100 parts of formaldehyde,- 40 per cent solution, and

parts of concentrated ammonia were heated to boiling in a suitable vessel under reflux condenser until the resinous product had become a rubbery semi-solid mass. The aqueous solution was separated from the resulting resin, the resin allowed to cool and then broken up and crushed to a line powder. 011 molding this resin at 160 C. under 1000 pounds pressure it. was found that the resin had very little flow-in that the full pressure of 1000 pounds could be applied within 30 seconds after closing the mold without extrusion of the resin. At the end of 5 minutes time of cure the resinous article was removed from the mo d and found to be opaque and had only a fair surface. 2 parts of hex-amethylenetetramine-triphenol was added to '10 parts of the powdered resin and molded under similar conditions. It was found that it. was not possiblo'to apply the full 1000 pounds pressure to the closed mold without causing the resin to extrude from the mold until the resin had been subjected for a period of a minute and a half to slight pressure at 160 C. The full pressure then was applied without loss of resin by ex trusion. After allowing the resin to cure for 5 minutes the resulting molded article was found to be translucent and exhibited a good lustrous surface of a very desirable character. The contrast in the two products, with and without the hexamethylenetetraminetriplicnol was very marked.

As another example of the fiuxing and plasticizing effect of these compounds upon aresin without filler the following is given.

A molding composition was prepared as follows: 122 parts of crude coal tar acid, 50 per cent boiling between 200 and212 C., the

remaining 50 per cent boiling between 212 and 220 (3., was reacted with 100 parts of formaldehyde in the presenceof 20 parts of calcined magnesium oxide (the formaldehyde solution and magnesium oxide were first mixed and ground in pebble mill until the resulting mixture was of a creamy consistency) The mixture of tar acid, formaldehyde and magnesium oxide was heated under reflux condenser for a period of 30 minutes at 50 C. At the end of this time the temperature of the solution- .was gradually brought up to boiling. The resulting resin was then separated as much as possible from the aqueous solution and the resin dried in vacuum dryer with temperature gradually raised to 105 C. On hot-pressing some of the resin it was found that the resin did not low and that the full pressure could be applied to the mold as soon as it was closed. The resultingmoldcd article after '3 minutes cure was found to have a dull surface, was opaque and fractured on removal from the mold. l partof hexamethylenetetraminc-triphenol was added to 10 parts of the powdered resin and molded under similar conditions. It was not possible to apply full pressure to the mold, until the resin had been subjected to heat for 1 minute, without squeezing a considerable amount of resin from the mold. After curing the resinous material for 3 minutes the resulting molded article was found to be translucent, had a bright surface. That is, the composition gave every indication of having sufiicient flow for use in molding. Here again with a totally difierent type of resin the l1))lasticizimg' effect of tripheno compound is 0 served.

The finish of a molded article and the filling of the interstices of a mold with composition is' dependent on the flow of the resin and this property can most readily'be determined and measured by molding the resin itself without filler. The quantity of the resin resin. In the foregomgexamples it was ob extruded along the crevicesof the mold and the time required to cause the resin to set under a slight pressure afiord-a rough practical means of measurin this property of the served that (without adding the fluxing agent) the resin set so rapidly that the full pressure could be applied immediately or within 30 seconds of the time'of closing the mold, and as noted the finish was dullqand the flow negligible. -The addition .of the plasticizer remedied this defect.

As an example of the effect of the fluxing action of these bodies on a composition containing filler which was in the so-called overcured state, the following example is g I I A small quantity of a commercial molding compositlonknown as bakelite 420 was heated on the hot plate until the resin had reacted and, become converted to a state which any molder would describe as worthless for use ing ing agents with resins in which the reactions in molding, by methods heretofore generally used. On attempting to mold some of this heat-treated composition it was found that the resulting mas had practically no flow. The surface of t specimen was dull and mottled showing every indication of being premature]y-ured. To 25 parts of the heattreated composition 2 parts of hexamethylenctetralninc-xylenolwere added by dissolving this plasticizing agent in alcohol, moistening the heat-treated powder with the. resulting solution, evaporating in a vacuum dryer to ren'iovc solvent and molding the dried powder. The powder was molded under the same conditions as the original heat-treated compound, namoly 1000 pounds pressure at about 160 C. In the presence of the plasticizing agent entirely different. results were obtained.

The resultin molded article. had a sur irisingly bright glossy surface, did not show any evidence of the composition having been prematurely-curcd and gave every indication of having a good flow. The wortlflessmate rial was thus rehabilitated.

The employment of hexamethylenetetramine-phenol, cresol, xylenol and of corresponding c-ompounds'of polyhydric phenols, compounds of naphthols and the like of similar or analogous fluxing and plasticizing action on .resins of all types, including shellac and other natural resins, urea-formaldehyde, acetone-formaldehyde and other synthetic resins, falls within the scope of the present invention.

The term, thermo-setting as used herein, as in the prior art, means that the resinous material is one that hardens or sets and becomes infusible (or far less fusible than in its earlier condition) by heating in the mold durhot-pressing. do not claim herein, the use of the fluxhave progressed to the stage of giving wholly infusible resins, which are by themselves incapable of softening somewhat by heat. Such latter resins would not be capable of being fluxed by the treatment described herein.

What I claim is 1. In the process of making molding compositions of the resin and filler type, the step which containing a resin which is overcured although capable of sticking together when subjected to hot molding conditions, a small proportion of a .hexamethylene-tetraniinephenol as a lasticizing agent.

2. A mo ding composition comprising a resin which is overcured although capable of sticking together when subjected to hot molding conditions, a filler and a few per cent of an added crystalline hexamethylene-tetramine-phenol as a plasticizingagent.

3. A molding composition comprising a resinof insufiicient fusibility, a filler and a small proportion of an added hexamethylenecomprises adding to such composition tetramine-triphenol acting as a iluxing agent for such resin.

4. A molding composition comprising a resin which by itself is not of suflicient Iusibility to produce on hot molding, a clean cut molded article of good finish, together with a fluxing agent therefor, consisting of a fusible compound of a phenolic body with hexaniethylene-tctramine.

5. A process which comprises molding a composition comprising a resin which by itself is not of snflicient fusibility to produce on hot molding, a clean cut molded article of good finish, together with a fluxing agent consisting of a fusible compound of a phenolic body with liexamethylene-tctram ine.

6. A molding composition comprising an over-cured resin and a smaller amount of fusible compound comprising the reaction product of a phenolic body and hexanrethylme-tctramine, the latter being capable of iluxing the over-cured resin suiliciently to produce good hot molding.

7. A molding composition comprising an over-cured synthetic resin selected from the class consisting of phenol-, acetoneand urea formaldehyde resins together with a smaller amount of a fusible non-resinuous compound of a phenolic body and hexamcthylene-tetramine, the latter hein capable of fluxing the over-cured resin suihciently to produce good hot molding.

8. In the art of molding resinous condensation products, the step of adding a nonresinous hexamethylene tetramine phenol compound to an over-cured resinous condensation product in amount sutlicient to serve as a fluxing agent for the latter during hot molding, whereby the flowing quality of the latter is substantially increased.

9. in the art of molding resinous condensation products, the step of adding a nonresinons hexamethyleue tetramine phenol compoundto an over-cured resinous condensution product of a phenolic body with formahlchydc, in amount suflicient to serve as a tluxing agent for the latter during hot molding, whereby the flowing quality of the latter is substantially increased.

HARRY M. WEBER. 

